


Le Belle Et Lasat

by Archangelsanonymous (ArchangelsAnonymous)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Canon Universe, Gaslighting, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Kallus can COOK, Kallus is a Disney princess and you can't tell me otherwise, M/M, Running Away, Slow Burn, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchangelsAnonymous/pseuds/Archangelsanonymous
Summary: Kallus' brother, Lyste, has gone missing after a recent encounter with rebels. Against Thrawn's wishes, he searches for him after receiving a garbled and confusing transmission. He finds him the captive of some sort of savage, but intelligent creature that will only release Lyste if Kallus takes his place. Only thinking of his brother, he accepts, but soon after Lyste has safely gotten away, it's clear he and this beast, or Zeb as it prefers, do not get along. In time, though, they start to see that the other isn't so bad and...maybe there might be something there that wasn't there before...*Part 1*
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus & Yogar Lyste, Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 20
Kudos: 29
Collections: Kalluzeb Mini-Bang 2021





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> 1: Yes, I'm aware the title is not grammatically correct. It's on purpose.  
> 2: HOLY CRAP this ended up way longer than I meant it to be but it's gonna be worth it, so trust me when I say there's much more coming. 
> 
> Thanks so much to Poiama, ofc, for the art!  
> Thanks to Hixy, not just for running this thing but for being my bestie and making me do it kicking and screaming.  
> Thanks to my betas/cheerleaders, Nef and Mudkip! <3 There's a lot more coming so I hope you're ready lol  
> And ofc, thanks to everyone at SH and KAD for the ongoing support and community that I'm so incredibly proud to be a part of.
> 
> ENJOY!

The small ship came out of hyperspace, and Lyste took a deep breath, sighing in relief at the peace and quiet of whatever system he had jumped to. The navigation had been shoddy before getting into hyperspace, but now it was almost completely wrecked and he was lucky to have ended up NOT in an asteroid. The moment of relief was ruined quickly by his fuel sensor going off, indicating he had to land soon or he was in danger of free floating for stars knew how long. After a quick scan of the view out of the cockpit, he felt his heart skip a beat when he saw a large moon and turned his ship towards it. The atmosphere was a bit thicker than he had thought it was, and he winced as it started to tear panels off of the sides of the hull. At this point, he could only hope that the landing gear had been able to be deployed, and pray to whatever deity happened to watch over this backwater moon. A spark of hope appeared in his chest when the ship broke through atmo and revealed where he’d be landing, in a lake near a large, majestic domicile of some sort. If he survived, he'd have shelter at least. Another thing that raised Lyste’s optimism was the presence of some sort of lighting around the large residence--Fire, likely--which indicated that it was occupied by a being with sentience. If it was intelligent as well, it would see that he was an officer of the Imperial Navy and would assist him with whatever he needed. That is what vassals of the Empire were supposed to do, according to what Lyste had been told in the academy. 

Lyste was jarred from his seat when the ship impacted the water, wincing as he watched the waves of water splash up against the cockpit. The vessel rocked back and forth, floating atop the recently disturbed water. Wasting no time, Lyste climbed up and opened the emergency hatch of the shuttle he had managed to escape in. As he took in a deep breath of the crisp air of the moon, he realized he probably should have checked the atmo composition, but it was too late now. After breathing fairly normally for a few minutes, he concluded that the air was fine and he was currently much more in danger of sinking. The ship started to sink again and Lyste realized he had no other option but to jump into the lake and swim to shore. There were a few moments of hesitation, but after reminding himself several times that he would be able to request a new uniform after rescue, he stuffed his hat inside of his jacket, took a deep breath, and dove in. His luck seemed to have held out, allowing him to swim to shore safely despite the hundreds of things that he had predicted going wrong. A smile broke out across his face as he sat on the rocky shore, watching as the shuttle sank further into the lake. Ship or no ship, he had faced the most difficult part of this unexpected adventure and all he had to do now was get out a distress signal and wait to be picked up. After a moment’s rest, Lyste reached up and ran his fingers through his dark, damp hair, then stood up and started to make his way to the dwelling, growing more confident with each step. The wind blew off the lake and chilled his damp clothing, causing him to hug his chest for warmth. 

By the time Lyste reached the entrance, he was shaking and his teeth clattered together. Finding no button or panel to press, he balled up his fist and used the bottom of it to pound against the door, hoping someone would hear him. A few anxiety-stricken moments later, the door moved, creaking open just a bit, but moving easily when he pushed against it. Even though it was still daylight when Lyste had landed, as soon as he stepped into the residence, everything darkened. He turned to see if the same thing had happened outside, but the door slammed and left him alone in the hall, the noise echoing until there was nothing left but his own breathing.

"He--Hello?" Lyste stuttered, his voice wavering from cold and nerves. Like the slamming of the door previously, his voice echoed through the large foyer he was starting to see as his eyes began to adjust to the dim light. "Is there anyone here?" A yelp escaped his throat as he heard something come into the room, but relaxed when he recognized the familiar lights and beeps of an astromech. He couldn't quite tell the color in the dim lighting, but he could tell from the silhouette that it was an older model. Pre-Clone Wars, possibly.

"Hello there, um," He nervously addressed the droid, "could you direct me to your master, please?"

"Oh, no. Absolutely not."

Lyste looked up to see another droid coming towards him, this one an outdated Imperial navigation and protocol model. Whoever owned these droids must have rescued them from some scrap heap. As the taller droid came closer, the astromech started to argue with him, spewing a series of beeps and whistles that Lyste couldn't translate, but had a feeling were NOT appropriate.

"Fine, but he can't know," the navigation droid drawled, turning to Lyste and continuing before he had a chance to ask who he was speaking of. "I apologize. I'm AP-5 and this is Chopper." He motioned to the astromech. "I'm afraid you have to leave. He won't be pleased to know you're here."

"You mean, your master?" Lyste tried to clarify, confused at the droid's behavior. “Where is he? I need to speak with him immediately.”

“I believe you misunderstand me,” the taller droid said, attempting to herd Lyste back toward the door. “He’s not our master, and he certainly won’t want to speak with you.”

Lyste refused to move and stood his ground. “Now, see here! I demand to--”

The lieutenant was cut off by a deafening roar, and he found that his vocal chords had seized up in fear. He heard a rustling of fabric and the sound of nails (or more likely, claws) tapping against a wooden floor, and looked where the sounds were coming from. On the grand staircase stood...a monster. Some sort of rabid species he had the fortune of not encountering yet. In the dim light he could barely make out the striped markings on the being’s muscular arms and legs. The rest of its torso was covered in some sort of tattered, hooded cloak, and it wore tattered trousers on its legs. It was a head taller than Lyste and snarled when it caught sight of him, then bounded at him on all fours, teeth bared. Once it reached him, it stood back up and grabbed Lyste by the collar, raising him up off the ground. 

“Please!” Lyste begged, only now catching sight of his attacker’s large, feline ears and purple coloring. He clawed at the monstrous arms that held him though he knew he had no chance against something this much larger than him. 

“Who are you?!” The creature bellowed, causing Lyste to whimper. “What are you doing here?!”

“I-I’m an Imperial officer!” Lyste squeaked. “A lieutenant! My ship crashed in the-the lake!”

The being inhaled sharply and frowned at the lake smell that was wafting off of Lyste. He grunted, then shoved Lyste back to the ground, where he crumpled to a pile. “Take ‘im teh the tower.”

“T-tower?” Lyste stuttered, rubbing his neck as he watched the large creature walk away. “Like, communications?” The beast huffed in response and Lyst started to panic. ”But, wait! I must use your long range comm. I need to get in contact with the Empire!”

Bright green eyes flashed at him and he was suddenly face-to-face with his warden. “Yeh won’t. This’s yer new home, like it ‘er not.” The being’s face twisted into a smirk. “We’ll feed yeh and such but yer dyin’ here. No one’s comin’ to get yeh. Best yeh accept it.”

Lyste’s eyes widened as the reality as the situation came crashing down on him. There was no way the Empire was going to find him. He was going to die here. “Who-What are you?”

“Ain’t it obvious?” He flashed his sharp teeth. “I’m a Beast.”


	2. Chapter 1

Kallus checked his private transmissions once more, then checked the boarding logs as well. Still no sign of Lt. Yogar Lyste since their last unfortunate incursion with the rebels. There was evidence that he escaped; Lyste had sent Kallus a secure message just before jumping into hyperspace. The ship was also not reported in the wreckage in the battle’s aftermath. Kallus clenched his jaw and made his way to the projection table, bringing up a 3D holo-sim of the battle. 

If it were any other deck officer, Kallus would have never gone to the lengths he had for Lyste. He frowned as he zoomed in to where Lyste’s shuttle left the cruiser and followed the path. As it did every other time, it flew off and left in a flash, leaving no trace behind. He slammed his fist down on the console in anger, making the holo flicker. Where in the seven hells had his brother gone?

“Agent Kallus.”

He looked up to see Grand Admiral Thrawn walking towards him, hands clasped behind his back as usual. Kallus immediately straightened up and cleared his throat. “Grand Admiral.”

“You’ve been spending a considerable amount of time examining this holo,” Thrawn reached a hand out and touched a button on the console, causing the holo to replay. “It wasn’t a particularly spectacular battle for either side, so that has me curious.” He stood next to Kallus and watched as the battle raged in a translucent blue. “What about this has captured your attention? Or...fixation, rather.” The ambient light was reflected in the Admiral’s piercing red eyes and caused a pale glow on his already blue-tinted skin.

Kallus looked away, slightly embarrassed that Thrawn had noticed his interest in this particular engagement. “Here,” he pointed out Lyste’s shuttle. “That ship had my brother on it, and I’ve yet to receive a transmission from him since he jumped into hyperspace.” The ship made the jump on the holo as Thrawn watched. “I have been trying to figure out his location.”

“I see,” Thrawn pressed another console button and turned the holo off. “You have my condolences, Agent Kallus. However,” he looked up from the, now dim, console and stared pointedly at Kallus, “I suggest you give up this trivial search. Your brother has likely perished, Agent, and in the service of our great Empire, as I’m sure he wanted.” The side of Thrawn's mouth twisted up in a sly smile. “I hate to see your talents wasted like this.” He turned back around and left the way he came, stiff-backed and confident. 

Kallus let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, and grabbed the console for stability once Thrawn was out of sight. It was obvious he would be on his own in this, and since Thrawn seemed to already know of his interest, he had to work fast. Quickly, he walked to his office, a new determination in his stride. A notification came on his data pad and Kallus opened it, his eyes growing wide as he read it.

Lyste had managed to send him coordinates. No, a droid that was on board, PH17-33P, it seemed. The message was to the point and mechanical, but was exactly what he needed. Kallus rushed to his closet and grabbed a duffel that he had stashed in the back behind extra uniforms and excess supplies. Once he had it in hand, he hurried to a private shuttle, requesting secure authorization as he walked, and not even bothering to acknowledge the ground crew as he made his way to the cockpit. The clearance passed through quickly, thanks to his rank, and Kallus took off into the black sea of space, desperate to find his brother.

Kallus was awakened by the hyperdrive sending the warning that the ship was about to leave hyperspace. He sat up quickly to make sure he wouldn’t miss seeing where Lyste had ended up on and assessing the situation properly. Of course he feared the worst--most planets and moons didn’t have a proper atmosphere for humans. Once the ship steadied and he laid eyes on the moon, he let out a sigh of relief. It looked habitable enough, and with renewed confidence and motivation, Kallus made his way down to the surface. Before landing, he did a quick sweep, making sure it was safe to land. Lyste’s shuttle seemed to be completely submerged apart from an antenna that stuck no more than a foot out of the water. Kallus silently applauded the Empire’s foresight to install a waterproof emergency beacon. He was pretty sure that wasn’t standard but, then again, he was always finding out new things about the agency he had dedicated his life to. After locating a safe place to land, Kallus descended and prepared himself for whatever he might have the misfortune of encountering. 

The castle that Kallus had noticed on the way was somehow both more dilapidated and more magnificent than he had originally thought. There was obviously someone around, seeing as there were still a few outside lamps lit. Kallus took his time as he approached the large front door, and meticulously checked his rear and his flanks in case anyone--or thing--tried to sneak up on him. He reached the door and slowly pushed on it, finding it to be unlocked, and he swung it open. 

“Hello?” Kallus called out, blaster drawn at the ready. His voice echoed throughout the hall and sent a shiver down the agent’s spine. “Is there anyone here?” He removed his helmet, setting it on an end table and continued to walk, climbing up the stairs that reached the balcony overlooking the foyer. “Yogar?” Not receiving an answer, he decided to continue his exploration of the residence, and continued to call for his brother, not even knowing if he could hear. There were a few times where he thought he heard a beeping or the sound of a droid rolling across the floor, but every time he looked, it was gone. 

“Yogar!” Kallus yelled as he walked down a side hallway. A sound made him turn and he noticed a door that was closed when he had passed was now open. Narrowing his eyes and raising his blaster, he walked towards the door. Carefully, he edged it the rest of the way open and stepped in. Kallus looked up to see that he seemed to be in some sort of tower, and in front of him was a set of stairs that spiraled up to the top. 

“Hello?” Kallus called again. “Is someone there?” A rustling of some sort came from above him and he quickly ran up the stairs, hoping for some sort of answer. When he reached the top, he looked around and noticed several barred doors, indicating this was some sort of holding area for prisoners. He could immediately tell he was in the right place.

“Yogar!” Kallus shouted, checking inside of every cell. 

“Alex?”

A weak cough came from the last room and Kallus rushed to it, holstering his blaster. “You’re alive.” Barely, he amended in his mind. From what he could see of Lyste in the dim light, he seemed frail and sickly.

“How did you find me?” Lyste asked, voice shaking slightly as he crawled to the door.

“The ship sent out coordinates,” Kallus explained, causing Lyste to chuckle a bit. “You modified the emergency beacon, didn’t you.”

“I was bored one rotation,” Lyste shrugged, then coughed again, this time continuing far longer than Kallus was comfortable.

“We need to get you out of here,” Kallus declared, backing away from the door to inspect it. 

“No, just go,” Lyste pleaded. 

“Who did this to you?” Kallus was inspecting the lock, ignoring the warning coming from his brother.

“I’m serious, Alex,” Lyste coughed. “There’s no time to explain. You have to get away from this place. Now!”

Kallus appeared in front of Lyste again, looking into his cell. “I won’t leave you, Yogar.” Just as he went to return to the lock, Kallus felt something large grab his shoulder and slam him into the wall next to the cell door. 

“What‘re you doing here?!”

After regaining his bearings, Kallus looked up at what had attacked him. Whatever it was had retreated to the shadows, but there was no hiding how large it was. He heard a large crunch and fizzle, and realized that was probably the blaster he had thrown from his hand.

“Alex, run!” Lyste shouted from his door, causing Kallus to scramble to his feet.

“Who’s there?” Kallus shouted, widening his stance and preparing for a fight. “Show yourself! Who are you?”

“All yeh need to know is I’m in charge here,” the being snarled, moving around in the shadows, still out of Kallus’ sight. 

“I’ve come for my brother,” Kallus announced. “He’s obviously ill. I need to take him to receive proper care.”

“Then ‘e shouldn’t have trespassed!”

“He could die,” Kallus relaxed his stance in an effort to appear less threatening. “Please, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes.”

“There’s nothing yeh can do,” the large being huffed. “He’s my prisoner.” It moved to leave the tower, and Kallus knew he had to act fast. 

“Wait!” Kallus called after him. “Take me instead.”

“You?” A deep chuckle came from the shadows, but faded out quickly. “You...Ye’d take his place?”

“Alex, no!” Lyste shouted, throwing him into a coughing fit.

“I’m a much better hostage than him,” Kallus explained, ignoring his brother. “I’m ISB, an agent. He’s simply a deck lieutenant.” He could see the being was starting to consider the offer. “I would need your guarantee that he would be able to leave this moon safely.” 

“Yes,” the being immediately agreed. “Yeh gotta understand. This isn’t a hostage situation. Ye’ll be here forever.”

Kallus was mildly shocked at this development, but quickly went to work deciding if he could justify it in his mind. He looked up into the shadow, squinting to try and see who and what his new warden was. “Come into the light,” he requested softly, more curious than anything. 

There was hesitation in the being a moment before he slid his foot forward, revealing it to be clawed and covered with lavender fur. As more of him came into view, Kallus noticed the rest of his legs were strong, muscular, and striped with dark purple fur. He raised his head into the light and Kallus couldn’t help but gasp when he finally saw his captor’s face. The...Beast’s large brow furrowed as he narrowed his chartreuse eyes at Kallus, and his feline ears laid flat behind him, frightening the human on a primal level. His teeth were bared as he growled, and Kallus couldn’t help but notice the enlarged canines that shined with saliva as the light hit them. A dark purple beard lined his strong jaw and brushed against the clasp of the tattered, hooded cloak that covered his shoulders. 

“You’re a--”

“Please, Alex!” Lyste begged. “I can’t let you do this!”

Kallus regained his composure and stood up straight, staring the beast in the eye. “You have my word.”

“Done,” the beast snarled, taking two large strides past Kallus to Lyste’s cell door. He unlocked it and Lyste hurried out, grabbing Kallus by the arm.

“Alex, listen to me,” Lyste cried, tears threatening to stream down his face. “I’m no one. I’m expendable.”

“I’ll be okay, Yogar,” Kallus replied, smiling at his brother. “Just return to the fleet safe.”

“Wait, I--” Lyste was lifted by his collar and dragged away without warning. Kallus squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, determined to show as little weakness as possible in front of this new adversary. Once they had started making their way down and out of the tower, Kallus rushed to the window of his new cell to make sure that the beast was true to his word. He heard Lyste’s yells and protests echo throughout the massive grounds of the estate as he watched the owner carry his brother over to his shuttle. Lyste had been thrown onto the shuttle and soon, it flew off, carrying his brother to safety. If only he could say the same for himself. 

Kallus took the chance to look around his cell. It was small and covered with some kind of dry plant life native to the moon. He wasn’t sure if it was meant to be comforting, or just made the small room easier to clean. Before too long, the owner of the large mansion returned, and Kallus stood at attention, refusing to be intimidated by him. 

“I’ll show yeh to yer room,” his captor said, nodding for Kallus to follow. 

“My room?” Kallus gave the being a confused look. “I only assumed that--”

“Did yeh want teh stay in the tower?” He growled, turning to look at Kallus. 

“No,” Kallus replied, tentatively, not sure if this was some sort of trick or if the beast was serious.

“Then follow me,” he huffed, cloak whipping around his ankles as he returned to facing the door. As they walked in silence, Kallus took this chance to look around at his new dwelling. Everything seemed to be primitive and he found it almost disconcerting that the constant low hum of technology was gone from this place, wherever it was.

“Yer name,” the beast remarked in a gruff tone. “‘S Alex, right?”

“Kallus, if you please,” he corrected, crossing his forearms across his chest and rubbing the upper part for warmth. 

“M’ name’s Zeb,” he replied. “I, uh...I hope yeh like it here.” Kallus gave a derisive snort and looked up at Zeb. He had a finger to his ear and seemed to be grimacing, but at what, Kallus wasn’t sure. “This is yer home now, so yeah can go anywhere yeh like except the west wing.”

Kallus furrowed his brow. “What’s in the wes--”

Zeb whipped around and snarled at him. “It’ll be yer corpse if I catch yeh there.” Kallus quickly shut his mouth and let Zeb lead the rest of the way to his room in silence. The hallways were adorned with drapes and art, but nothing personal. The castle seemed so generic and it only lent more mystery as to why Zeb was here. 

“If yeh need anything, there’s droids about that will help yeh,” Zeb explained as he opened the large wooden doors to Kallus’ room. It was like the rest of the castle, decorated with care, but no heart. A huge four-poster bed was the centerpiece of the room and a large bay window let the daylight come in, or he assumed when the curtains weren’t drawn. The most obvious thing about the room was that it hadn’t been used in years. Dust was piled on the dressers and the cloth covered chairs, and the place had a musty, abandoned smell. But wait...Kallus hadn’t seen any droids.

“You--” Zeb cleared his throat and stood up straighter, accentuating his height. “I expect yeh to be joining me fer dinner.” He turned to go, but then looked back. “And ‘s not a request!” Zeb slammed the door and Kallus caught himself flinching at the loud noise. Sighing, he turned back around to his new room and gave it another sweeping glance. After making a mental list of ways to improve upon his quarters and removing his chest armor, he walked over to the window and threw the drapes back. There was still light left, but it seemed to be fading quickly and, of all things, snow had started to fall. No wonder cloaks seemed to be in fashion around here. Carefully, he climbed up onto the seat near the sill of the bay window and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his knees as he watched the snow. Even if this was going to be his home forever, at least he knew his brother was safe. 


	3. Chapter 2

“Grand Admiral, sir,” a young deck officer rushed up to Thrawn’s side and held out a data pad. “The shuttle you requested be flagged has just made contact. It’s asking to land.”

Thrawn took hold of the data pad and hummed as he read through the contents. “Permission granted. I want a unit of troopers prepared to meet it. I’ll be there as well.”

“Yes, sir,” the officer took back the data pad then ducked his head and scurried off to fulfill the Grand Admiral’s request. Thrawn smirked as he watched the shuttle out of the main viewport of the Chimera as it came in to land. Kallus was back, and they had  _ many _ things to discuss.

The shuttle had already landed by the time Thrawn arrived at the hangar. A unit of stormtroopers stood at the ready, but parted as he walked through them to the front. He stood at attention as the cargo ramp descended from the back of the shuttle as he waited for Kallus to come out.

“Agent Kallus,” Thrawn started the moment he saw the human’s outline, “I expect you have a good reason for why you took a shuttle without my--”

“Help!” A sharp clear voice that was certainly not the ISB agent’s came from the shuttle. “We have to go now! He--” Lyste’s eyes widened as the scene in front of him started to become visible. “Grand Admiral,” Lyste breathed, running over and jumping the foot or so that the ramp hadn’t lowered to yet. “Please, he’s got him locked in a dungeon!” The disheveled lieutenant fell to his knees in front of Thrawn and clasped his hands together. “Alex is in danger! There isn’t a moment to lose! Please, sir!”

“Lieutenant, calm down,” Thrawn drawled, urgency nowhere to be found. “What is this about a...dungeon?”

“A-Agent Kallus, sir,” Lyste corrected. “This horrible beast has him locked in a dungeon! It had huge ears and fangs and claws and--oh gods, please just save him!”

“You’re sure about this, lieutenant?” Thrawn raised an eyebrow. This...beast you speak of. How did it lock Agent Kallus up?”

“Oh, sir, it’s not a dumb beast by any means,” Lyste explained. “It walks and talks, but it looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before, sir. All purple and striped.”

Thrawn’s eyes narrowed at the description. “You are obviously suffering from some sort of delusion brought on from escaping the battle.” He turned to the nearest trooper just as Lyste started to protest. “Take him to a cell and send a doctor down to see if he will be able to snap out of this and return to duty.” Thrawn watched as Lyste was carried away, continuing to ask for help and shouting about Kallus being taken captive. He was sure that Lyste was just mad, but then again...Thrawn turned on his heels and rushed to his office. 

Once he had secured the doors, he pulled up a file from a few years ago. The file was heavily encrypted, but Thrawn entered the code with ease and it opened up to reveal several images of large beings, striped with purple and sprouting feline-like ears. A few had red slashes going through them and Thrawn brushed them aside. In front of him now were three of the largest in the group, all in attack ready positions. Two were around the same age, in their older years but still virile. One of them had long, white hair flowing down her back and the other was bald, but had magnificent facial hair on his jaw. The last one was younger than the other two, but he held himself high, and his confidence was palpable. If Lyste was correct, this could be his chance to finish what he started. He would finally rid the galaxy of Lasat.

  
  


An incessant beeping started to sound and woke Kallus up from where he had seemed to have dozed off by the window. He looked down and saw a slightly dented and scuffed MSE droid that was doing circles at the base of the window. 

“Um, hello?” Kallus greeted it and it chirped happily in reply before zipping off back through the door that was slightly ajar. He swung his legs down and stretched them out, stiff from his small nap. 

“Oh good! You’re awake!” A tarnished silver protocol droid burst into the room, carrying a tray with what looked like tea, sugar, cream, and a teacup. “You’ve been causing quite a stir down in the kitchens, sweetheart.” Two MSE droids, including the one he saw earlier, skated into the room behind her and followed her as she walked. She set the tray down on the small table in the far corner of the room, then headed over to the wardrobe that resided on an adjoining wall. A few mumbles came from her as she looked through the clothes that were in front of her.

“Um, excuse me?” Kallus cleared his throat, getting the droid’s attention. 

“Goodness me, where are my manners?” The droid exclaimed, turning around and walking over to Kallus. “I’m B3-TT3, but you can call me Betty.” She turned back around and pointed at the tray. “Now, you just sit down and relax, honey. I’ll find you something to wear to dinner.” She returned to the wardrobe and continued to sort through the clothes as Kallus walked over to the small table and sat down at one of the two chairs that were next to it. He picked up a cup of tea that was still steaming, sniffed it, and after concluding it was safe, took a sip. His eyes widened at the taste. 

“This tea is remarkable,” Kallus mentioned, taking another drink. 

“Best tea in the galaxy, right here,” Betty boasted, pulling out some green fabric, then pushing it back in the wardrobe. “Ask anyone around and they’ll tell ya.” Just as Kallus was about to ask who else was around here besides him and Zeb, Betty pulled out a blue waistcoat and a black shirt with silver and white embroidery on the sleeves. “Here we are! Oh, you’ll look so fine, he’ll be sugar in your hand.”

“That’s, uh,” Kallus set his tea down and stood up. “That's very kind of you, but I’m not going to dinner.”

“Oh, but you just have to!” Betty insisted. 

“No, I--”

“Ahem,” an old imperial navigation droid opened the door and stood just outside of the room. “Dinner is served.” 

“I’m sorry, but I won’t be attending,” Kallus reiterated to the new droid that had appeared. 

The dark droid had just begun to leave when it stopped and looked back at Kallus. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not going to dinner,” Kallus repeated this time, making his intent clearer. 

“But...you must,” the droid replied, confused. 

“AP, darlin’,” Betty said, walking over to the other droid, “he’s lost his brother and his freedom all in one day. How about we give him a little space, huh?”

“But you know he--”

“ _ He _ ,” Betty started to push AP out of the room, “can most certainly eat without a companion one more night.”

“What do I tell him?” AP asked, just before Betty closed the door. 

“You’ll figure out somethin’, hon,” Betty shut the door and locked it, then turned back around to Kallus. “Oh, that AP-5, bless his heart, always worried about something or another. He’s gonna blow a circuit one of these days, I just know it.”

“Thank you,” Kallus breathed out a sigh of relief and sat back down at the table his tea was on.

“He’s right, though,” Betty commented as she hobbled over to put the clothes back in the wardrobe. “That Mr. Zeb will be angrier than a lothcat caught in the rain when he hears you aren’t comin’ down.”

“That’s hardly my problem,” Kallus replied, using the teapot to refill his cup. “I’m not sure why he thinks I would voluntarily have a meal with my captor.”

Betty closed the wardrobe doors almost solemnly, then walked to the other side of the table from Kallus. “I can’t talk much about it but, I do know he wants you to like him. At least enough to enjoy your stay here.”

Kallus narrowed his eyes at Betty as he took a sip of tea. Obviously the droid knew more than she was telling him, but it was only his first night. He could postpone an interrogation. “That may come with time but, as of right now, I have absolutely no interest in being in the same room as him, much less dining with him.”

“WHAT?”

The roar echoed through the castle and sent a chill down Kallus’ spine, since he knew he was the cause of it. Loud footsteps and growling grew louder as he assumed Zeb made his way to the door of his room. Just as he expected, a large fist pounded on the door, making it and the frame holding it shake and dust to come sprinkling down.

“I thought I told yeh to come down to dinner!” Zeb shouted through the door.

“I’m not hungry!” Kallus shouted back, setting the teacup on the plate Betty had provided for him. 

“You come out or I’ll--” He could hear Zeb huff as he thought of a threat. “I’ll break down the door!”

“Oh, he might actually do that one,” Betty warned. Kallus could hear a concerned chorus of beeps, whistles, and ‘wirrs’ coming from behind the door, and it sounded like they were coming from an old astromech. They were too faint for him to make out clearly, but he also heard AP-5’s droning voice chime in as well. After a few moments, Zeb seemed to calm down and Kallus heard a soft knock on the door again. 

“Will you come down to dinner?” Zeb asked, his voice much more calm. Kallus still had no interest in eating with him.

“No,” Kallus replied, having a sip of tea afterwards. 

A heavy sigh came from behind the door and Kallus was impressed that Zeb was trying again. “It would give me great pleasure if yeh would join me fer dinner.” The line sounded like it had been said through gritted teeth. “ _ Please _ .” The last word came out like Zeb had just spit out a spoiled bite of fruit. Kallus could at least appreciate him attempting to try.

“No, thank you,” Kallus replied, just as politely. Apparently, the courtesy just infuriated the being more and there was an audible growl and huff after Kallus had answered. 

“Yeh can’t stay in there forever!” Zeb shouted, slapping the door with his palm. 

“Yes, I can!” Kallus stood up and yelled back. 

“Fine!” Zeb spat back. “Go ahead ‘n STARVE!” The last word came out more like a roar than speech and it actually made Kallus step back a moment. He had to remember who or... _ what _ he was dealing with. With caution, he walked closer to the door and heard Zeb continue. “If he doesn't eat with me, he doesn’t eat at  _ all _ . Got that?” There were some sad beeps in response and he heard the heavy footsteps of Zeb stomping down the hallway. A door slammed elsewhere in the castle, but the force of it seemed to cause the sound to echo through the mostly empty castle. Once he heard the droids disperse, he turned back to Betty. 

“You know, darlin’,” Betty remarked, heading to the door. “He’s really not so bad once you get to know him. Give him a chance, hmm?”

“I don’t want to get to know him!” Kallus spat. “In fact, I’d rather not have anything to do with him at all.”

“Well, I hate to leave ya,” Betty opened the door. “I gotta go see what needs cleaning up but I’ll be back later, okay, sug’?”

“Thank you,” Kallus sighed, walking over to his bed as Betty closed the door behind her, and pulling back the top layer to remove most of the dust. After uncovering a couple mostly untouched pillows, he climbed into the bed and turned to his side, bringing his knees up to his chest. His stomach gurgled but he ignored it and tried to focus on sleep. This was no different than when he was a kid from the triple digits. At least this time he had a bed. 


	4. Chapter 3

Kallus woke up thanks to a sharp hunger pang that jolted through his abdomen. He groaned and looked over at the window, noticing it was dark out, and moved so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking over at the corner table, it seemed that Betty had been in to retrieve the dishes and tray. As he glanced around the barely lit room, he also noticed the droid had set out a fresh pair of trousers, a white shirt, and a soft blue vest. It only took a quick look down at the uniform he had been wearing for at least 48 hours to know that it had to go. 

Once Kallus had finished changing into the new clothes, which fit him surprisingly well, he walked over to the door and put his ear to it, making sure no one was out there. Well, it shouldn’t matter, should it? Zeb did say he only had to stay away from the west wing. His stomach growled loudly and Kallus put a hand over his abdomen in an effort to quiet the sound. Last time he checked, the  _ kitchen _ wasn’t off limits. Slowly, he eased the door open, glad that it didn’t make any creeks or squeaks. After a quick glance down the hallway, he concluded that no one was around and he made his way down to where he presumed the kitchens were. 

As Kallus grew closer, he could hear some discussion going on behind the door. Once he reached it, he slowly opened the door and was surprised at what he found. Not only did the kitchen look barely used, but while it was filled with droids, none were specifically for cooking. He recognized Betty right away and she seemed to be talking to AP-5, the old Imperial droid that he had noticed earlier. She immediately registered that he had come into the kitchen and started to walk over. 

“Hey there, hon!” Betty greeted Kallus, hobbling over.

“Ah, Mr...Kallus, is it?” AP-5 said, making his way over as well. “Good to meet you formally. I’m AP-5, unofficial head of...whatever this place is.” The droid reached out his hand to let Kallus shake it, but before he could, an old orange and white astromech came racing in the door, then shoved AP-5 out of the way with a loud clunk before turning to Kallus and beeping happily.

“This,” AP-5 started to explain as he regained his balance, “is C1-10P.” An annoyed beeping came from the astromech and Kallus chuckled.

“Uh, I believe he said his name was ‘Chopper’,” Kallus looked to the astromech to make sure he was correct and he received a positive chirp. “Oh, and if you call him that again he’ll--”

“No need to translate,” AP-5 interrupted. “I heard  _ that _ part just fine.” He shot a glare at Chopper, then turned back to Kallus. “Now, if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, just let us know.”

“Well,” Kallus instinctively grabbed his sore stomach and rubbed it a bit, “I suppose I am a little hungry.”

“Oh, Darlin’,” Betty took hold of Kallus’ shoulders from behind and started to push him through the kitchen, “of course you are! Just get on in here,” she opened another door to reveal a formal dining room with decor that matched the rest of the castle, “and make yourself comfortable.”

Um…” AP-5 followed with concern. “I don’t believe he’d be okay with this.” 

“I am  _ not _ going to let this poor thing go hungry,” Betty huffed, pulling out a chair for Kallus.

“Fine,” AP-5 conceded as Kallus sat down. “A glass of water and some bread and thats--”

Chopper came from behind AP-5 knocking his legs, and interrupting him. The droid rolled up next to Kallus, then used one of his small auxiliary arms to hand him a napkin. 

“Thank you,” Kallus smiled, taking the napkin and placing it on his lap. 

“Now, what can I get you?” Betty asked, her eyes somehow seeming to be glowing brighter as she waited for Kallus’ order.

“I’m fine with whatever is available,” Kallus replied, happy just to be eating. “Oh, nothing with boontaspice, please.”

“Comin’ right up!” Betty spun around and walked back through the kitchen door with Chopper and AP-5 in tow. Kallus found himself alone in the dining room and looked around, hoping there would be something personal to indicate who this castle belonged to, because it certainly couldn’t be that brute. He gazed up at the walls and noticed some places where the wallpaper hadn’t faded in the distinctive shapes of portrait frames. Like the rest of the residence, any signs of anyone having lived here before Zeb had been removed. It intrigued him and had his head spinning with different ideas of who this place could have belonged to. Kallus hadn’t recognized the system...oh, this would be so much easier if he had a datapad. Now, that he thought about it, he didn’t recall seeing any signs of technology. The rooms were lit with lanterns and flaming sconces and the doors were manual. However, the droids had to power up somewhere, didn’t they?

“And here we are!” Betty burst into the room, with two MSE droids trailing behind her, laden with trays of steaming dishes and bowls. “Now, everything we got is local, of course, but the big guy seems to like it enough.” She placed the trays in front of Kallus and, almost immediately, he could tell that everything was cooked by the droids. Everything had a bland color and seemed very simple. Betty placed some utensils in front of him before stepping back, and Kallus braved the first plate of what looked like stewed plant matter. With only slight hesitance, he took a bite, finding that he was correct. It was some sort of tuber, but it had little taste on it’s own. He quickly swallowed it, then looked for something else to taste. There was some sort of meat on his right, and he cut himself a slice. Kallus was pleased to see that it was cooked, albeit too much so. The gamey taste didn’t bother him as much as the amount of chewing it took to get through the overcooked meat. Finally, he was able to swallow and he took a swig of a deep red juice that was nearby. Kallus found the drink oddly refreshing and flavorful, and he finished the glass.

“I’m guessing Zeb doesn’t cook?” Kallus inferred, dipping his spoon in a goopy white substance with blue specks in it and scooping it up.

“Oh, no way!” Betty let out an electronic chortle. “There’s a cute little astromech that used to be a server at this place on Corellia so we have him cook.” 

Kallus managed to force himself to eat a few more bites, then laid his napkin on the table and sighed. “I find I was less hungry than I thought,” he fibbed, planning to make his own food from here on out. Betty patted his head, an oddly comforting gesture from a droid, then grabbed his plate and took it into the kitchen. 

“Oh good, you’re done,” AP-5 noticed once the other droids started taking the rest of the untouched plates back to the kitchen. “Now, please return to your room.”

“I actually think I’ll look around the castle a bit,” Kallus replied, pushing himself away from the table and standing up. “He  _ did _ say I could, right?”

Within moments, Chopper had zipped over to him beeping and chirping about giving Kallus a tour, then bumped his leg impatiently. 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” AP-5 attempted to argue as he followed Chopper leading Kallus out into the hall. 

“Well, if you’re so concerned, AP-5,” Kallus started, “you can come with us. I’m sure you know all about the castle.”

“I don’t mean to boast,” AP-5 replied, puffing his chest out a bit as he walked. “But from scanning the architecture and materials, and matching it against my own extensive database…” As he continued on, Kallus started to hang back, letting the two droids lead him down the hall. They entered the main foyer, and as Kallus took in the vastness of the place, something to the left caught his eye. He stopped, not alerting the droids, and made sure they weren’t paying attention before he snuck away, quietly climbing the grand staircase. Once the sound of AP-5’s droning had faded away, Kallus stood back up and started to walk down the hallway. 

The corridor was much darker than the rest of the castle, and Kallus stepped more cautiously because of it. Finally, he found what caught his eye and realized it was a painting. Looking around, he saw that instead of the decor just being removed here, it was destroyed. Tattered and ripped drapes hung from walls that had deep claw marks engraved into the stone. Whatever had been in the frame in front of him was gone now, it’s canvas torn to shreds scattered around it. Curious, he picked up one of the larger pieces, turning it over. Kallus gasped and dropped the piece, startled by the bright green eye that stared back at him from the fabric. He quickly squatted to retrieve it and examine it, impressed at the artist’s talent. Dragging his fingers across the long-dry paint, Kallus wondered who this being must have been, considering the startling resemblance to his captor. 

A sharp whistle shot through the silence of the hall, and Kallus’ head snapped up. After determining it was only the wind from the snowstorm, he relaxed, but caught a glimpse of something he wanted to examine more closely. The piece of painting fell from his hand as he continued down the hallway, fixated on the fantastical door that was at the end of it. As he drew closer, he noticed engravings in the frame, somewhat worn but clearly made up of letters and words written in a script that was unknown to him. He reached his hand out and took hold of one of the elegantly curved wooden handles on the doors, gripping it tight for a moment before letting go. 

Gods, Kallus knew he wasn’t supposed to be here. This was the west wing, and Zeb had made it perfectly clear that this area was forbidden to him. He’d come this far though, hadn't he? Ignoring any more hesitation, he took hold of the handle again and pulled, the door opening much easier than he expected. Whatever dim light the hallway provided flooded into the room, and Kallus put a hand to his mouth in surprise. He had entered what appeared to be a bedroom but it was cluttered with broken furniture, lying in wooden piles, and torn fabric that drooped from the windows on the wall and the frame of the four-poster bed. Careful not to disturb anything, he tip-toed through the room, fascinated by the state of it. Another crumpled frame on the floor caught his eye and he walked over to it, pushing the torn strips back together to reassemble the painting as well as he could. From what he could tell, it was a group portrait and, from the feet and markings, everyone was the same species as Zeb...whatever he was. They were dressed in elegant and regal clothing, and appeared to be some sort of royalty. The faces were completely shredded though, and Kallus chose to leave it, something else further in the room catching his eye. 

Out on the balcony was a large, sand-colored, stone obelisk surrounded by a force field of some sort on a very low frequency. As Kallus walked towards it, he noticed it was covered with engravings carved deep into the stone, and he was sure this had to be some sort of religious object. His curiosity got the best of him and he walked up to the force field, reaching out his hand cautiously. Preparing for a shock, Kallus braced himself, but relaxed once his hand went through the barrier easily. It seemed to only be for blaster fire and weathering. His eyes also followed the line of the wiring, receiving the answer to his question about where the droids charged. He could also see why the entire castle wasn’t wired. The cords were practically ancient and looked like they had somehow fused with the floor. No way they could handle a place like this. 

Turning back to the obelisk, it was solid, the base taking up about a foot of area, and staying square until about six inches from the top where it drastically started to come to a point and ended at Kallus’ waist. Now that his hand passed through the field, he only had to reach a bit more to touch it. It seemed a little insensitive, but he had to try and understand this odd structure and its significance here on this odd little moon. 

Suddenly, the door to the room slammed and Kallus spun around to see Zeb standing in the doorway. The beast snarled and bounded over to Kallus, grabbing the back of his collar and pulling Kallus away from the obelisk. Zeb put himself between Kallus and the stone, then turned to the human.

“Why did yeh come here?” Zeb asked, a growl tinting his words.

“I--I’m sorry,” Kallus tried to back up, but found himself hitting the frame of the bed. 

“I told you never to come here!” Zeb roared, a few stray strands of Kallus’ hair blown back by the force of his voice.

“I meant no harm,” Kallus tried to assure him, even as he continued to back away from his very angry captor. 

“Do you realize what you could have done?” Zeb raised his hand as if he was going to strike Kallus, and the human flinched, but his eyes shot open at the sound of wood splintering. Zeb had instead grabbed hold of most of an end table and threw it against the wall in anger.

Kallus raised his hands up to protect his face from splinters. “Please! Stop!” He tried to calm the beast down, but instead Zeb turned back to him and raised himself to his full height which towered over Kallus. 

“GET OUT!” Zeb bellowed, chasing Kallus out of the room. Kallus ran to the bedroom door, realizing that without a weapon, his only choice was to run. “GET OUUUUT!” There was no way he could stay here. He would find another way off this planet. As he opened the door and bolted down the hallway, he could hear Zeb’s crashes and screams getting fainter. Making a quick stop in his room to grab his armor, Kallus donned it, then continued to run down to the foyer. Betty and AP-5 stood nearby and were alarmed at Kallus going to the front door.

“Where are ya goin’?” Betty asked, concerned.

“Promise or not,” Kallus replied, opening the door, causing some of the snowy wind to wash in, “I can’t stand another moment here with that... _ brute _ .”

“Wait, don’t--”

The door slammed, cutting off AP-5’s voice and leaving only the sound of wind whipping past his head. Kallus pushed a button on his helmet, lowering a transparent visor, and he headed out into the storm.


	5. Chapter 4

Kallus continued to run until he reached the edge of the forest, where he felt that Zeb wouldn’t be able to spot him from any of the castle’s towers. The trees blocked much of the snow and wind, and he felt it was safe to put up his visor. Even with the wind being slowed, Kallus still found he had to cross his arms over his chest and tuck his hands under them to keep his fingers from freezing. The forest was quiet apart from his own feet crunching in the snow and the occasional branches knocking against each other. He had to find some sort of shelter, especially with this storm. Gods, he had horrible timing.

The snap of a branch broke through the sweeping wind and Kallus turned toward where he thought he heard it. Whatever had made the noise wasn’t visible and it made Kallus start to walk a bit faster. It quickly became apparent that his footsteps weren’t the only ones he could hear and he broke out into a run. He cursed himself for not thinking to grab a weapon before he left as the snarling and growling grew louder behind him. With a glance back, he confirmed the worst. Four dark, wolf-like creatures emerged from the woods, ears and claws much larger than the wild canines he was familiar with. Along with a howl, they also let out a clicking sound as they bounded after Kallus, likely alerting more of their kind. Kallus ran as long as he could until he was stopped by a massive fallen tree that he had no way of climbing over in time. He whipped around and backed against the tree, panting as the wolves encircled him. Eaten by creatures he didn’t even know the name of was not even close to how he expected to die. Kallus noticed one inching closer, prepared to pounce, and squeezed his hands into fists, ready to fight to the last. 

A roar pierced through the woods and just as the wolf went to jump on Kallus, it yelped at being stopped in mid-air. In front of him, Zeb was holding the wolf up in the air by its scruff and roared once more at it before tossing it to the side like a rag-doll. Kallus crumpled to the ground and Zeb got on all fours between Kallus and the wolves, posturing at the wild beasts and returning their snarls with ones of his own. Kallus stared at Zeb’s bare back, a cloak the only thing covering his naked torso. Zeb had come after him, and...somehow, in the way that he ran and how Zeb looked at him, he could tell it wasn’t just about getting him locked up again. Suddenly, Zeb lunged at the wolves, drawing them away from Kallus as they attacked him. Claws ripped through fur and flesh on both sides and Kallus started to search for a way out once he saw red drops stain the snow beneath Zeb. A yelp from one of the wolves caused Kallus to look back at the fight just as it was thrown into a snowbank by Zeb. After that, two more wolves that tried to attack Zeb were met with the same fate, thrown into the snowbank and against a tree. Quickly, the rest of the pack decided that it was time to abandon their pursuit of Kallus, and ran off in search of easier dinner. Once the wolves had gone, Zeb slowly turned toward Kallus revealing several gashes that had been clawed deep into his shoulder and down onto his chest. Their eyes met briefly but Kallus’ only widened as Zeb’s closed, falling along with the rest of his body as he collapsed into the snow. 

Almost immediately, Kallus’ instincts told him to run. Run and never look back. Both threats had taken each other out and all he had to do was leave. He wrapped his cloak around him and turned to leave, but couldn’t help but stop and look back at Zeb. If Kallus left him there, would he be any less of a monster? Especially when Zeb had just risked his life to save him?

Refusing to waste any more time thinking about it, Kallus removed his cloak and wrapped Zeb’s bare chest up in it. With a groan, Kallus heaved Zeb up onto his shoulders, thankful for not skipping the bi-weekly weight training sessions that Thrawn insisted be offered aboard the Chimera. He walked a few steps to test the balance, then slowly started the trek back to the castle.

***

As Kallus quickly found out upon returning, of all the droids in the castle, there were no medical ones which meant no bacta either. While he carried Zeb to the front room, Kallus had Betty and AP-5 run to grab hot water along with some spare fabric that could be used for bandages. Kallus carefully placed Zeb down on his back on the couch that was in front of a large fireplace with an intricate mantle that was covered in nothing but dust. Before turning away to start a fire, Kallus made sure Zeb’s wound was open to the air and that as much of him was covered with the cloak as possible. Just as he got the fire to spark, he heard a groan come from the couch and turned his head to see Zeb stirring.

“Betty and AP-5 will be back in a moment with bandages,” Kallus informed Zeb as he stood up, then pulled a small, cushioned stool to sit on in front of Zeb where he could be able to care for him. “It’s best that you don’t move. You’ll irritate the lacerations.”

“I’ll be fine,” Zeb grumbled, about to rip Kallus’ cloak off of himself when he noticed just how cold it was. 

“You’ll get an infection,” Kallus replied sternly, just as the droids returned with a steaming basin of hot water and several lengths of shredded fabric that Kallus immediately recognized as coming from the west wing. “Now then,” Kallus dipped a smaller piece in the water, pulled it out, then wrung the excess water from it, “let’s get this cleaned up...” Kallus reached forward to start wiping the excess blood and dirt from the fur around the wound, but Zeb moved just out of reach. “Will you just hold--” After a few more times of randomly shoving the wet rag at Zeb’s body while he flailed out of its way, Kallus finally managed to swipe, a little harder than he intended, across Zeb’s chest. 

Zeb roared and growled at Kallus once the rag made contact and pulled it away. “That hurt!” The droids that had been hanging near the area, eavesdropping, quickly backed off and Chopper let out a few worried whirrs.

“If you would hold still, it wouldn’t hurt as much,” Kallus argued, getting in Zeb’s face in the same way. 

“If you hadn’t have run away, this wouldn’t have happened,” Zeb retorted, smirking as though he had won. Bad choice.

“Well, if you hadn’t frightened me like that, I wouldn’t have run away!” Kallus reminded Zeb, whose face quickly fell. 

“Well--” Zeb took a moment while Kallus rinsed the rag again. “Well, you shouldn’t have been in the west wing!” 

Kallus snapped his head back towards Zeb and narrowed his eyes. “Then maybe you should learn to control your temper.” Zeb’s eyes widened, but he realized that there was nothing more to argue and sighed, relaxing back against the couch in resignation. “Now, please hold still,” Kallus continued, getting closer to Zeb and placing a hand on his sternum to ensure his steadiness. “As I was going to say earlier, this may sting.”

Zeb growled and turned his head away, but allowed Kallus to clean the area even though it hurt him. Several moments passed in silence, and Kallus rinsed the rag out for another time before turning back to Zeb’s wound. He looked up at Zeb, his face twisted in pain, but keeping the rest of his body still so that Kallus could help him.

“By the way,” Kallus cleared his throat, “thank you for coming after me.” Zeb opened an eye and looked over at Kallus. “You saved my life.” Kallus went to turn away, but Zeb’s hand caught his wrist and he looked back up at the beast. 

“I--” Zeb sighed. “I should be thanking you also.”

Kallus stared at Zeb a bit longer than he intended, but to see an emotion other than anger on his face was fascinating. Even though he was a captive here, maybe there could be a silver lining and he and Zeb could at least grow to be friends. Before he thought any more on it, he pulled his eyes away and went back caring for Zeb’s wound.

“Well, call us even then,” Kallus said and smiled softly, causing an amused snort to come from Zeb above him.

***

The next morning, Zeb awoke and found that his shoulder didn’t hurt nearly as bad as he expected. Even when he rolled it, although the skin pulled against the wound, he didn’t feel it open up at all and smiled remembering the night before. Although nothing had gone what he would call “well”, both he and Kallus returned to the castle safely and they had gone to sleep on a good note.

_“Maybe you should learn to control your temper.”_

Kallus’ words from last night swirled in his head and, though he knew the fact all along, hearing the human say it bothered him more than it ever had before. He sat up in bed and sighed, swinging his legs over the side as his eyes landed on the three bo-rifles mounted on the wall, possibly the only thing in the room that hadn’t been torn to shreds. What would they have to say if they saw him like this? Zeb stood up and grabbed the top rifle, holding it for a moment before letting it go and grasping the middle one, holding onto it like he had the first. Once he felt finished he stepped away, leaving the bottom one untouched as it had been for so many years. He didn’t deserve to pick up that rifle. Not anymore. 

Zeb picked up his cloak off of the disastrous looking dresser that he had thrown it on the night before. He opened it up to check for any additional rips and tears, but he appeared to be lucky this time, avoiding any major damage to it. Deeming it acceptable, he threw it over his shoulders and made his way out of his room. As he walked down the hall, he glanced out the window and noticed something moving in the courtyard. Zeb rushed over, expecting to see some intruder, but was much more surprised at what was actually out there.

A space on one of the stone patios had been cleared of snow, and in the middle of it stood Kallus. He wasn’t wearing more than a pair of soft, baggy pants and a sleeveless shirt, but somehow, even with the cold air, he seemed to be comfortable. Zeb chose to stay and watch for a moment, curious as to what was going on. Kallus walked over to the edge of the area and picked up a large staff that Zeb hadn’t noticed before. One of the droids must have found it for him in the armory. Zeb had cleared the place of any bladed weapons, but he thought nothing of the staves. Was he planning to use that on him?

Returning to the center of the space, Kallus held the staff out in front of him, one hand crossed over the other, then started to spin the staff. Slow at first, to get the hang of it, then faster and faster. After a moment, he stopped, then spun it the other way. This time, when he was finished, instead of simply stopping it, he stepped back to steady himself, and tucked the staff under his arm. His other hand was reaching out in front of him, and Zeb heard him let out a yell, as if he was actually fighting an enemy. Zeb was enthralled as Kallus continued to work with the staff, his movements allowing the weapon to glide through the air around his body. The staff became an extension of him and, like the rest of his body, gracefully cut through the icy air. 

_His body_ . Zeb could feel his face heat up as his eyes followed the broad lines of Kallus’ arms and shoulders, starting to glisten as the winter sun was reflected off of them. With the cloak and slightly oversized clothing that Kallus usually wore, Zeb had never noticed the human’s tapered waist or strong thighs. He turned away from the window before he could dwell any more on it. There was no way that kallus would be interested in him _like that_. Not the way he would want. 

Zeb continued to walk though the castle, stopping for a moment in front of Kallus’ door. When he peeked in, he saw Betty in there, emitting some sort of robotic tune as she changed the sheets.

“Uh, hey, Bet,” Zeb rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped into the doorway. “Can yeh help me?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Betty replied, flattening the covers, then coming over to Zeb. “What is it?”

“I want teh do something special for Kallus. Teh try an’ make him feel more comfortable here, but I don’t really know what,” Zeb explained with a sigh.

“Hmm,” AP-5 came out from behind one of the dressers, and Zeb frowned at his eavesdropping. “Have you considered chocolates? Flowers? Promises you don’t intend to keep?” 

A loud series of beeps came from one of the closets and something pounded against it until it flew open revealing Chopper, who quickly rolled over to Zeb and knocked him in the leg with a series of annoyed whirrs, then looked up at Betty and beeped a few more times.

“Oy, don’t make me turn yeh into a trash can,” Zeb growled at Chopper. “Also what the hell are all yeh doin’ in here?” Chopper let out a series of grunts that sounded suspiciously like ‘droid business’, and Zeb rolled his eyes. “Can yeh help me or not?”

“Chopper just mentioned that Kallus said something to him about cooking,” Betty replied. “The kitchen is a absolute mess right now, but I bet with a little spit-shine, it’ll be up and ready to go in a jiff!”

“Yeh...Yeh would do that for me?” Zeb looked up at Betty with wide eyes. He had always been rude to the droids and he definitely didn’t deserve their generosity.

“Oh, honey,” Betty hobbled closer and reached up to pat Zeb’s shoulder. “We just want you to be happy. You just leave everything to us. Come along, you two.”

Chopper followed Betty past Zeb and out the door, but AP-5 stopped before leaving. “I would very much appreciate it if you didn’t mess this up.”

“I don’t want teh,” Zeb sighed, “but I jus’ keep sayin’ the wrong things.”

“Watch your temper and you’ll do adequately,” AP-5 reassured him before following Betty and Chopper. Watch his temper...if only it were that easy. But maybe, if he could do something difficult as that, he might even win over someone like his prisoner, Alex Kallus?

**Author's Note:**

> This is the art I received for this fic as part of the KZBB 2021: [HERE](https://imgur.com/eGHGvLF)


End file.
